Friday, August 8, 2014

August 4, 2014

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the cute birthday package you sent! You are the best! It was so festive and it made my day happy! I love you!!!! Happy Birthday tomorrow (today in Korea) Dad!!! I love you! Hope you have the best day.

This week was a little bit better than last week. We met a new investigator, which was a total miracle!!

Tuesday Sister J. and I served in the visitor center. Just as we were about to walk out the door to leave, a man and a woman showed up to the church and walked inside. The man said that he had met elders before, the woman was his friend that was with him. We found out that Elder M had found him and he had come to church a few times. The lady, 진영 wanted to look around our church and was filled with questions. We showed her around and she loved everything. She took a picture of the wall in the visitor center and said she was really interested. We set up an appointment and met with her again on tuesday. She came to the church and she had so many questions. We taught her about the Restoration and answered her questions. We watched the Restoration DVD with her and shared a Book of Mormon with her. She loved everything. While we were teaching her, she said "this is what I've been looking for." She is so prepared. We gave her the soft baptismal commitment and she accepted it. We invited her to church and set up another appointment. She told us she would come to church, but when we called to follow up on Sat. night and Sun morning, she didn't answer. We went to relief society kind of bummed that she didn't come, but 5 minutes after RS started, she came walking in and sat down by us. She stayed for most of church, but had to leave after the Sacrament for something she had yesterday. She loved church though and loved the member who taught gospel principles. We are meeting with her again on tuesday and are hoping to give her a baptismal commitment with a date!

We are continuing to teach 김정 and her son the Family English Program. This week when we met her, she told us that she prayed to understand our message and the Book of Mormon. She always keeps her commitment to read the Book of Mormon, but she hasn't been coming to church lately. I don't know her super well yet, but it seems like she thinks our religion is good, but doesn't see how important everything is and why she needs the gospel in her life. We shared the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet with her and she liked it. We talked a lot about the word of Wisdom and how the commandments and standards we have blesses our lives. This week we are thinking about teaching her lesson 3. I really hope she can come to church this week.

We taught a lesson on Saturday to Sister J's recent convert. She is so sweet and I already love her so much! We talked about Joseph Smith and reviewed the BOM and Restoration a little bit. We also talked about modern day prophets a little bit. She seems to be doing really well. She has been coming to church with her mom.

This week during study, I read a lot about the missionaries in the Book of Mormon. I love reading about Alma and Amulek and the Lord giving them the strength to be delivered. Something that I have been thinking about a lot is praying for the strength to handle hard things, rather than asking Heavenly Father to take them away. I have prayed a lot lately for the capacity to handle tough situations and to be able to do what the Lord needs me to do. As I have done this, I have had the strength to be more patient and understanding than usual. I love learning about the missionaries in the BOM. They were constantly being tried, yet they were instruments in God's hands and became even more solid.

Rach: Kingston sounds like it was a total blast!!! I loved the pics. Good job with the Half marathon! sorry about your foot :'( next year we will race togetha!!!

Dman: priest's camp sounds like blast. The cliff jumping sounds so fun. Next year we will have to jump off the top cliff by the rope swing for sure. Did you like studying PMG?

Ellie: The manti temple sounds way cool. I love that you learned how to drive stick shift on the Allen's doon buggy. Are you going to girls camp tomorrow? thank you for the cute birthday present and card!!!

Jane: girls camp sounds like it will be way fun!! I love hearing about all of the fun things you did this weekend! The doon buggy thing and 4 wheelers and shooting sounds so fun!

Addie: your week sounds so fun staying with the Oldroyds!! I'm glad you love school. did you have fun swimming with issy?

Isaac: that's so cool that you rode 4 wheelers with Ryan and got to press the gas! You are so cool. I can't believe you shot guns at George's house. That sounds so fun. I would rather see an elephant because i wouldn't want to get sprayed by the skunk.

Mom and Dad: Happy Birthday tomorrow, Dad! I love you! I am glad that priest's camp went well. Sounds like it was a lot of fun. Mom, good job in your half marathon! you are awesome! Next long run, we'll run together! :) Thank you for the B-day package!! I love all of the gifts. Thanks for being so thoughtful and sending it! It made my day!